Hope for justice

Mirani dam affectees still waiting

When people ask, “why are the Baloch agitated?” one must point them towards the 13,000 affectees of the Mirani dam flood in 2007 that are still to be paid the Rs four billion compensation determined by the Balochistan government.

Last Thursday, a group of 16 affectees of the flood arrived from Turbat and set up a camp opposite the Wapda House at Charing Cross on now protest-prohibited Mall Road in Lahore. No one took notice. Not even the police. A photographer would come, a stray reporter, a cameraman would ponder there sometimes. But sparing a few newspaper publications, mainstream media was uninterested in hearing the real story of suffering in Balochistan. When the affectees had scheduled a press conference at the Lahore Press Club, they were asked to begin the press briefing without electricity, with reporters waiting for tea, and photographers sitting outside…uninterested.

“A Wapda conspiracy,” the affectees termed it. Unhindered they moved to the camp. At the camp, the first day was slow. One TV channel and a couple of clueless photographers came. The routine remained more or less the same and an anchor told them, “There are 15,000 affectees and you could only bring 15. How do we make the case to cover this?” His addressee retorted, “It is a three-day journey from Turbat to Lahore. Flood affectees cannot leave their daily wage on the chance that the Pakistan government will give them what is their right.”

Thursday, Friday and Saturday were all working days, but there was no sense of recognition from Wapda. No one had come to meet them and the only ‘journalists’ that came on Sunday asked for a bribe to run the photo of the affectees on their news agency. One of the affectees cheekily gave them a small amount and told them to make off with this bheek (charity). Finally, on Sunday, Wapda, in its genius (rather ignorance), sent a Sindhi director to meet the ‘indigenous’ protestors and invite them to a meeting. When he announced he was sent because he is a ‘local,’ the retort was: ‘You are Sindhi, we are Baloch!’

The meeting was moved to the room of the Wapda Member (Water), a member of the Mirani dam compensation committee, a high-level 5-member committee created in September 2011 to resolve the dispute over the compensation amount which had yet to meet six months after its creation.

The background: when the Mirani dam project was announced in 2001, locals had resisted and suggested that an 80-foot high dam as per the British design would save upstream lands and prevent them from the threat of a flood from backflows created by the 127-foot high Nespak design. Wapda did not listen.

In 2005, locals sought compensation and re-settlement for houses, date trees, fertile lands and irrigation infrastructure (karez) upto 262 feet above sea level while Wapda continued to argue that there was no need to compensate above 244 feet above sea level. People continued to agitate and the earlier Wapda Member (Water) called on the Balochistan government to control the ‘law and order’ situation (not redress local grievances). In June 2007, a year after the Mirani dam had been opened to much fanfare by ex-dictator General Pervez Musharraf, a cyclone hit the Makran shores and backflows from the Mirani dam flooded regions up to 271.4 feet above sea level, at least 27.4 feet above Wapda’s maximum flooding estimates.

Wapda circulated the myth that the Mirani dam was a success and had withstood a ‘historic flood.’ On the ground, people maintained that the flood of 1998 was at least 5-6 feet higher and drained into the Dasht river delta without much damage. They argued that the creation of the Mirani dam had completely altered the hydrology of the region and it was a one-of-a-kind flood created because of the dam itself.

After a 3-year struggle, in 2010, the Mekran Commissioner finally sent a survey report detailing compensation. From the affectees between 244 feet to 264 feet above sea level, it recommended Rs 3.3 billion in compensation. From the affectees between 264 feet and 271.4 fwwt, it recommended Rs 0.7 billion in compensation. A dispute over the amount had been raised by Wapda and two years on, the committee created to finalise the compensation had yet to meet.

It was with this history in mind that they entered the Wapda House. It was a moment of creating temporary peace with one’s tormentors. Peace which broke when a Wapda official asked the Mirani dam affectees to pray for the approval of the grant in a Planning Commission meeting on 22 March to build the Hingol dam in Lasbela. “We will not let you build the dam,” the affectees’ retorted. The meeting resolved that Wapda will ensure that the 5-member committee meets on April 2 but warned that a sub-committee might be created to re-evaluate the suggested compensation.

It was only after the meeting that the Terms of Reference sent by Wapda were read (which contest the compensation amount) and the agitated affectees’ decided to sent a delegation to the Planning Commission in Islamabad to demand affectee representation in the April 2 meeting.

The promise of an end to the torment of the Mirani dam victims is yet to have been secured and it is unlikely that April 2 will provide it. Justice, requiring that all those responsible for the flood be taken to task, is a demand that has been given up by the affectees for fear of further delays in receiving compensation.

The same fear does not afflict this writer. The ignorance that produced this man-made flood and the 5-year delay in delivering compensation requires that those responsible be punished. These include the project commissioner, Wapda, project designer, Nespak; and project executer, Descon and the government of Balochistan and government of Pakistan.
Till then the Mirani dam flood affectees’ hope for justice will remain unanswered.

The writer is a member of the Workers Party Pakistan and researches at the Lahore University of Management Sciences. He blogs at voiceamidstsilence.blogspot.com